Health and Safety at Work

Are you in more danger than a Firefighter at work?

Consider safety and health at work

Don’t panic just yet, but buckle up for the crazy truth. On top of your daily meetings, communications, reports and basic tasks, you really need to be mindful of your safety and health on the job. In a report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2011, Firefighters are less likely to die on the job than the average US worker. Despite this surprising statistic, it is not necessary to be alarmed. However, it never hurts to recap what types of dangers to be aware of and how to stay healthy.

Safety Tips for Work:

1. As many as 450 million people suffer from a behavioral or mental disorder.  Effective treatments that are also cost effective are available.  However the first step is the urgency to seek help.  Being part of a Healthy Organization means you or your coworkers will have the ability to have access to a psychologist to address all work-related concerns with confidentiality and care.
2. Accidental falls, and musculoskeletal injuries account for 33% or work injuries.  Be mindful to watch your step on slick floors.
3. Pay attention when walking so you don’t trip on objects that may be in your path
4. Of course, practice safe driving and obey traffic laws if you frequently travel on the job
5. Be aware of your surroundings and be alert. Being struck by an object or piece of equipment accounted for ten percent of work-related deaths.
6. Practice emergency response for fires and natural disasters so you are prepared.
7. Remain sensitive to the emotions and actions of people around you. Unfortunately, ten percent of work related deaths were tied to homicides. Developing heightened ability to read non-verbal communication (a learnable aspect of emotional intelligence) and strong conflict resolution skills help prevent these kinds of tragic situations.
8. Don’t wait for things to go really wrong before you invest in health insurance.  Your emergency could easy coincide with someone else’s at the hospital.

If you aren’t paying attention to your health needs, in terms of safety, you might as well go play for the Blackhawks hockey team. Below is a refresher on checklist of work health factors.

On the Job Health Tips:

1. Avoid the vending machines.
2. Find a balance of time spent walking, sitting and standing in the office.
3. Mentally rejuvenate by surfing the web, reading the newspaper or eating your lunch and break at the park.
4. Sometimes stress gets to you and it can be hard to combat. Consider a quick meditation time that will set you back on track.
5. As mentioned in this Forbes article, be sure your desk and chair are at the right height to reduce strain on your neck and back.
6. Check out this Yahoo list of quick desk exercises.
7. Make sure not only to consume healthy foods, but to eat light to heavy through the course of your day.
8. The arthritis foundation recommends purchasing a wrist rest to use with your computer. You can also take breaks and perform stretches to keep your joints healthy.
9. Sit straight and be mindful of your posture.
10. Hygiene is basic, yet crucial. We shake hands a lot throughout our day, and it’s a great thing.  Washing our hands?

Now that you’ve quenched the potential fires, it’s time to get back to work. Whether you’ve decided to become a firefighter or you’re in an office, have a safe and productive day.